Category: Features

Happiness for Helen and Darach at Piping’s Wedding of the Year

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And so it came to pass that there we were midst the mightily magnificent grandeur of Glasgow Cathedral. The organ thundered the ‘Bridal Chorus’ from Wagner’s Lohengrin, necks craned, eyes dampened and into our vision stepped a beautiful bride gracefully leaving her father to take her place beside her intended. This was piping’s Wedding of the Year, the union of Darach Urquhart and Helen Wilkinson. The warmth of the June day…

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PP Ed’s Blog: More on Renfrew/ Ian McLellan/ CLASP/ Weekend Contests/ SPA/ Drummers

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P/M Ian McLellan (left) has identified many of the pipers and drummers in the above photo of his old band, Renfrew. The band is pictured in 1956 under P/M Tommy Shearer. Standing (l-r) are P/M Shearer, Fleming McAlpine, Alex Clapperton (ex-214 BB), Alex Buchanan, Ian McLellan, David Elder, ? Moffat, ?, Jimmy Healy. In front we have (l-r) Billy Cowan, L/D Alex Healy, ?, Billy Proctor, Alan Just, Ronnie Kinloch…

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Detailed Drawings of Historic Pipes from 250 Years Ago

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We are grateful to Allan Chatto OAM of Australia for forwarding these very interesting drawings of old sets of pipes. Allan writes: Many years ago when I was doing research in the Mitchell Library in Sydney, I came across a large book titled ‘The Book of the Club of the True Highlander’ by a Charles MacIntyre – North published in 1876. This volume, as well as recording details of Scottish…

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PP Ed’s Blog: Highland Games/ RSPBA Survey/ Sandy’s 90th/ New Ceol Mor

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The first weekend of the Highland games season was blessed with incredible weather and another bright sign was the number of P/A grade players out having a tune and supporting these events. Let’s hope this continues. Looking ahead, we have Markinch next weekend, June 3, and thereafter for the rest of June we have Strathmore (June 10), Ardrossan (June 11), Aberdeen (June 17), Cupar (June 17), Drumtochty (June 23) and…

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A Look Back at Early 2018 Outdoor Pipe Band Competitions

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By Alistair Aitken OBE, former RSPBA Adjudicator and not MacStig! Now that the RSPBA’s 2018 outdoor pipe band competition programme is in full swing I have been asked to give general views about some of the contest venues and observations about results etc., with a historical slant where possible.   The outdoor season started with a bang with five outdoor competitions over the same weekend – Dunbar and Bangor (Northern Ireland)…

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